THE LION KING Breaks Box Office Records In Madison

Disney's THE LION KING set new box office records in Madison during each week of its four-week premiere engagement which concluded on Sunday, May 23. THE LION KING is the highest grossing
theatrical production to ever play Overture Center for the Arts where it grossed over $4.8 million and entertained more than 68,000 people.

Making a major economic impact on the city, THE LION KING drew thousands of first-time theatergoers and many travelers from more than 100 miles away to see the show. The Tony(r)-Award Winning Musical generated a $15 million economic benefit to the Capital City from travel, hotels, restaurants, parking and other businesses patronized by both theatergoers and production staff.

"THE LION KING was everything we hoped for, and more," said Overture Center president and CEO Tom Carto. "The energy in the building has been just incredible. We've seen a real spike in subscriptions for next season already, and I'm sure a good number of those new subscribers are people who had a great experience at The Lion King. We have a ripple effect through the downtown business community all year round, but this has been an especially big boost, which is good for everyone."

"We are so proud to have shared the experience of this groundbreaking production with audiences in Madison, and to have entertained so many first-time and regular theatergoers," said Jack Eldon, Vice President, Domestic Touring, Disney Theatrical Productions. "It is incredible to reflect that in our eighth year of touring this theatrical phenomenon, we are still breaking box office records and visiting new cities throughout North America. We are looking forward to continued success in the coming years."

The North American touring production of THE LION KING has been seen by over 12 million theatergoers and grossed over $775 million to date. The tour is one of seven productions running worldwide, along with New York City, London, Hamburg, Paris, Tokyo and Las Vegas.

Having already played 60 cities across North America, THE LION KING continues to entertain audiences in new cities. The production begins performances in Costa Mesa at the Orange County Performing Arts Center on Wednesday, May 26 and plays through Sunday, June 13, 2010. During
the 2010-11 season the tour will play the following cities for the first time: Vancouver, B.C., Salt Lake City, UT, Durham, NC, and Dayton, OH. The current schedule is listed below and for more information and dates, please visit LionKing.com.

ABOUT THE LION KING
THE LION KING began as a 1994 animated feature-length film developed and produced by the Walt Disney Company. On stage, Director Julie Taymor's creative vision blends elements of African art and Broadway artisanship to depict anthropomorphic animal characters. The story, a coming of age
parable set among animals indigenous to its setting, the African savanna, tells the tale of Simba, the lion cub who rises to be the King of the jungle.

Now in its 13th year, THE LION KING continues to reign as one of the most popular shows on Broadway and around the world. It is the eighth longest-running musical in Broadway history and, according to figures just released by The Broadway League, placed second on the Top 10 lists
for both the highest-grossing and best-attended shows of the 2009-10 season, a remarkable indicator of its unprecedented success. THE LION KING is one of only five musical productions in theatre history to play for ten years or more on both Broadway and the West End.

THE LION KING has been seen by more than 50 million people in 13 different countries and translated into five different languages (Japanese, German, Korean, French, Dutch).

THE LION KING made history in September 2009 when two of its signature costumes were inducted into the Permanent Collection of the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History.

The global phenomenon is the winner of more than 70 major awards worldwide, including the 1998 Tony Award(r) and NY Drama Critics Award for Best Musical, the 1999 Grammy(r) for Best Musical Show Album, and the 1999 Laurence Olivier Awards for Best Choreography and Best Costume Design.

Julie Taymor was the first woman in theatrical history to win the Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical. She is also the winner of the 1998 Tony Award for Best Costume Design. Previous credits include The Green Bird, The Flying Dutchman, Fool's Fire, Titus Andronicus and the Tony Award-nominated Juan Darien: A Carnival Mass at Lincoln Center.

Taymor, along with designer Michael Curry, has created hundreds of masks and puppets for THE LION KING. Scenic design is by Richard Hudson; costume design is by Julie Taymor; lighting design is by Donald Holder. Choreography is by Garth Fagan. The book has been adapted by Roger
Allers, who co-directed the animated feature and Irene Mecchi, who co-wrote the film's screenplay.

The Broadway score features Elton John and Tim Rice's music from The Lion King animated film along with three new songs by John and Rice; additional musical material by South African Lebo M, Mark Mancina, Jay Rifkin, Julie Taymor and Hans Zimmer; and music from "Rhythm of the
Pride Lands," an album inspired by the original music in the film, written by Lebo M, Mark Mancina and Hans Zimmer. The resulting sound of THE LION KING is a fusion of Western popular music and the distinctive sounds and rhythms of Africa, ranging from the Academy(r) Award-winning song "Can You Feel The Love Tonight" to the haunting ballad "Shadowlands."